


Free Range

by sabinelagrande



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Chastity Device, Cock Cage, Dorian Pavus Has Issues, Established Relationship, Iron Bull Is a Good Bro, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, The Qunari Have Issues, enforced celibacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 15:40:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3815878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/pseuds/sabinelagrande
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian keeps waiting for everything to fall apart. Bull has a better idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Free Range

For the first time in a very long while, Dorian's life could be construed as stable. The Inquisition's work was never done, but for the moment things were as calm could be expected. He had respect, from people he genuinely liked. He had Bull, as completely unlikely a pair as they seemed from the outside.

And Dorian kept waiting for it to fall apart.

The Inquisition and the respect, those parts he was actually less worried about, surprisingly enough, but he'd never had anything like what he and Bull had. His sexual history before Bull consisted overwhelmingly of sweat and debauchery; Bull could make him feel both debauched and sweaty, but there were a thousand other things to be had, sweet and hot and rough and so much more than he'd ever bothered to hope for.

Dorian couldn't stop thinking about how soon he was going to screw it up. The last time things had gotten very bad in his life, he'd turned to liquor and men- copious amounts of both- and he knew it wouldn't be particularly hard to do it again, even if Skyhold wasn't exactly the best venue for excess. It was just so _easy_ , much easier than dealing with his problems. How much would it really take, if he and Bull were to hit a rough patch?

This was on the forefront of his mind on one particular night, because Bull was annoying the _shit_ out of him.

"You're very sweet and innocent," Bull said.

"Are you done?" Dorian asked.

"Probably not," Bull said, and Dorian rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I had to explain to you what a Highever Switchback is."

"I didn't say I hadn't _done_ it," Dorian said. "I just wasn't aware of that term."

"Sometimes I forget how buttoned up you Vints are," Bull said.

Dorian scoffed. "I guarantee you that I've had more sex than you have."

Bull laughed. "I'm sorry, kadan, but I doubt that."

"You have this idea in your mind that I come from some world of sexless aristocrats," Dorian said, and he could already tell things were about to go badly, far worse than would be appropriate for an entirely silly argument. "While I do come from aristocracy, all of them are so busy fucking other people's spouses that it's a wonder that anything ever gets done at all."

"You could say the exact same thing about Orlais," Bull pointed out. "Only they do it with masks on."

"Will you shut up for once and listen to me?" Dorian snapped, and Bull frowned. "I am not a good person. I have done things that I am extremely ashamed of just because I wanted to. I've paid for sex. I've fucked married men. I've taken it three and four at a time. The only reason I know any healing magic is that there are some things that an unmarried man does not seek a healer for, and I caught them on multiple occasions. The worse my life got, the more time I spent with my legs up in the air. _That_ is what you are dealing with."

"What I'm hearing is that you dealt with a lot of shit by trying to fuck it away," Bull said, with an evenness that made Dorian want to strike him. "That's not exactly weird."

"Stop it," Dorian demanded. "Stop trying to make this alright."

"It is alright," Bull said, taking Dorian into his arms. Dorian was stiff at first, but it was hard not to accept the comfort. "You're with me now. You've made some bad choices, but you're not going to start fucking your way through Skyhold if things get rough."

"You can't know that," Dorian said stubbornly, resting his head on Bull's chest.

"It's not a hard inference to make," Bull said; he squeezed Dorian tightly for a moment before letting him go. "If you were going to cheat, you'd have done it already."

Bull had a look on his face that Dorian recognized. "You have an idea," Dorian said.

"Yeah," Bull said, not volunteering more.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Dorian prompted.

"Not just yet," Bull said. "I need to make some arrangements."

Dorian sighed. "Fine." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm exhausted."

"Let's get some rest, kadan," Bull said, putting an arm around Dorian's shoulders.

They went to bed, but even with Bull holding him, Dorian had a hard time resting.

\--

Nothing came of the conversation for a few weeks. Dorian didn't forget about it, but he wasn't surprised, either. It wasn't like Bull to get sidetracked when he intended to do something, but as far as Dorian knew, there was nothing to be done. The problem was all Dorian, and he had no solution.

But then one morning, things took a turn.

Dorian hadn't actually made it out of their rooms yet; it was like Bull to get up early and go out to greet the day, but Dorian treasured a few more minutes in bed. He'd only just finished his makeup when Bull came back in, holding a small package.

"Not that I object," Dorian said, walking over and giving him a peck on the cheek, "but I didn't expect to see you at this hour."

"I have something for you," Bull said, opening the package, and Dorian peered at the contents. It was a small metal cage, mostly open on one side, with a hinge at one end. It looked more than anything like a miniature bird cage, but Dorian seriously doubted they were getting a tiny pet.

"What is that?" Dorian asked warily.

"It's a taashath-eva," Bull said. "I would have had it sooner, but it was hard to find a human-sized one."

"That doesn't help me much," Dorian said.

"When Qunari have sexual urges, they're encouraged to satisfy them, but only in the right way," Bull continued. "You visit the Tamassrans and they get you taken care of. It's easy and there's no chance of disrupting breeding or work schedules."

"Truly, you come from a utopia," Dorian said, rolling his eyes.

"When a male Qunari can't keep it in his pants, there's this," Bull said, ignoring the jibe. "Can't use it wrong if you can't use it at all."

It took a second for Dorian to get it. "So you put that on your-" he started, his eyes wide.

"No, I put it on _you_ ," Bull said. "You'd never cheat on me. I'm know that. But until you know it too, there's this."

"You really want me to wear this?" Dorian asked, still shocked. "In public?"

"I don't plan on you showing it to people," Bull said dryly, "but if wearing it will make you feel better, then absolutely."

"Have you worn one of these before?" Dorian asked, though he wasn't quite sure he wanted the answer.

"Only once, so I could win a bet," Bull said. "I wouldn't exactly call it fun, but after a couple hours it's not so bad."

"I see," Dorian replied, frowning.

"All you have to do is say your word, kadan, and this doesn't happen," Bull said, voice gentle. "I think this is a good idea, but I'm not going to do anything against your will."

"I suppose we could try it," Dorian said, with no little trepidation.

"Great," Bull replied, bending down and kissing him. "You need to be soft when you put it on." He grinned dirtily, pushing Dorian towards the bed. "I think maybe I should clear you out first."

"You use the most flowery vocabulary," Dorian said, amused, "but I'm not going to turn you down."

One very thorough blowjob later, Dorian lay on the bed, his legs spread; Bull knelt between them, the cage in his hand. "Are we doing this?" Bull asked.

"We're already here," Dorian said. "You'd better do it now before I come to my senses."

"If you want it off, just find me," Bull said. "Today, no questions asked."

"That is a very particular turn of phrase," Dorian said, propping himself up on his elbows to watch. "Why are you rubbing it like that?"

"I didn't think you'd be interested in cold steel in your personal areas," Bull said.

"Then by all means, carry on," Dorian said.

"I think we're good," Bull said, opening the cage and lifting Dorian's cock. "Here we go."

The cage wasn't as small as it seemed; Dorian's flaccid cock and balls fit through the back easily, but Dorian was instantly glad that Bull had made an effort to warm it up. Bull carefully closed it, locking it at the top, and Dorian looked down at it. It looked slightly ridiculous, but it also looked solid and sturdy. There was no possible way that Dorian was going to get anywhere close to touching his cock while wearing this, much less using it for anything fun.

"How does it feel?" Bull asked.

"It feels like I have a caged cock," Dorian said. "I'm not sure how it's supposed to feel."

"It doesn't hurt?" Bull asked, tugging on the cage.

Dorian winced. "Not unless you pull on it."

Bull let go, stroking Dorian's thigh in apology. "Sorry," he said. He kissed Dorian sweetly before standing up. "I'll see you tonight. Remember, if you want out, just come find me."

"Don't go too far afield," Dorian said, experimentally sitting up; the way the cage shifted against him was very unfamiliar. "The last thing I need is to go running out of Skyhold with this on."

"Could be worse," Bull said. "You could be riding."

Dorian groaned, flopping back onto the bed.

\--

Walking through Skyhold was an experience.

This damn cage was far more awkward than Dorian had been told. It was good that Dorian tended to complain about being cold; it made adding a coat to his daily ensemble nothing but predictable. Unfortunately, even a coat sometimes showed his crotch when he walked; the cage didn't jostle about as much as he anticipated, primarily through the usage of close-cut underclothes, but it was very obvious that he had more going on in his trousers than he had yesterday.

He was never, ever going to tell Bull, but it was possible that he had the right idea with his appalling pants. Dorian's did show off his ass quite nicely, but they were far too tight with his new equipment. 

He drew looks as he walked towards the library. A man glared at him, looking Dorian over with open contempt; a young woman blushed when he went by. That was all it took to make Dorian feel ridiculously conspicuous and ill at ease. This was a bad idea, start to finish, and the best thing he could do was find Bull and get the thing taken off.

Then Dorian thought it over again: the glare came from Ozred, a baker who would probably rather drive a spike through his own ear than be seen being kind to a Vint; the blush was on Maddy, the serving girl who had memorably dropped all her laundry at the mere sight of Dorian. They would have been staring anyway.

If anyone noticed anything, they probably just thought he stuffed his smalls this morning. He had been accused of worse crimes.

He took up his regular nook in the library, opening a book and sitting down to read. It wasn't so bad; he was aware of the cage being there, but it wasn't particularly onerous. He could do this.

Unfortunately, Dorian soon learned that he had a tendency to sprawl more than he thought while reading, and that was a definite problem. It was alright while he was sitting normally, but when he got engrossed in his book, he spread his legs and relaxed into his chair. It had the effect of tipping his pelvis upwards, and then the cage was _right there_ , resting heavy against him.

"Dorian?" someone said, while Dorian was squirming around in search of a better position, and Dorian looked up, feeling caught out. 

Because of Dorian's legendary luck, it was the librarian's assistant, Meacham, the one that Dorian didn't like. Dorian hadn't always disliked him, but the boy had decided at some point that he and Dorian were very close. Despite the fact that Dorian was a depressing number of years too old for him, he seemed to think he had a shot; the way he glanced at Dorian was too much, especially now that Dorian couldn't-

Dorian stopped, thinking about it. What did he think was going to happen? Was there really a chance he was going to sleep with an overly-familiar servant? Once upon a time, he very well might have, but that was long ago. His life had been turned completely upside down at least twice since then- and anyway, at his age, he'd hoped he'd be above having sex with boys who were barely past the age of majority.

 _But until you know it too…_ he heard Bull saying, and wondered when and if he'd get there.

"Are you alright, messire?" Meacham asked, frowning.

"Sorry," Dorian said, snapping out of it. "What did you need?"

"I tracked down one of those books you wanted," Meacham said, holding out a worn-looking volume. "It looks like we don't have the other two, but if you don't mind my saying, I'm not surprised."

Dorian took the book, examining it. "I think we all know that the collection here is desperately in need of expansion," he said. "But thank you for finding this."

"Oh, you're more than welcome, messire," Meacham said, bowing more deeply than was necessary. "Anything else you need?"

"No, thank you," Dorian said.

"If there's anything at all you need, you know where I am," Meacham said, with a note of invitation that he probably thought was subtle. He bowed again. "Afternoon, messire."

Dorian watched him as he left; he couldn't help be think that this unreciprocated thing was a shame for Meacham. He wasn't unattractive, and he could find so many more willing targets. Perhaps Dorian could point him towards someone who was similarly interested. People deserved a little happiness around here.

Apparently this thing made him both impotent and magnanimous. He honestly would prefer for people to find out about the former.

\--

Bull was already there when Dorian made it back to their rooms that night, which was something of a surprise; Bull had a tendency to linger with the Chargers, whether training or in the tavern. Then again, given the events of the morning, maybe it wasn't much of a surprise.

"Lying in wait, I see," Dorian said, taking off his coat and pecking Bull on the cheek before sitting down on the bed and pulling off his boots. "Go on, I'm sure the curiosity is killing you."

"How did you do?" Bull asked, putting a hand on Dorian's shoulder and rubbing the knot that always seemed to appear right below it.

"Well, I did," Dorian said, not sure how else to classify it. "It was very odd, but I managed."

"I have to admit, I was thinking about it," Bull said, sitting down on the bed and pulling Dorian into his lap. "You, in front of everybody, unable to do anything without me." He unbuckled Dorian's shirt, leaning down to suck a mark onto Dorian's collarbone.

"Leave it to you to get off on it," Dorian said; getting his pants and underclothes off was an interesting ordeal, but he managed somehow. Bull rested a hand on the cage, kissing Dorian hungrily. Apparently Dorian had been more right than he realized, and Dorian was surprised to realize that he didn't mind. The opposite, really; winding Bull up was always fun, intentionally or not.

Bull reluctantly pulled himself away after a moment, quickly getting rid of his pants. "Hold on, let me get the key."

"Could you-" Dorian stopped, swallowing. He hadn't meant to say what he was about to, but there was no turning back now. "Leave it on," Dorian said, trying to make it sound like an command instead of a plea.

"It's going to hurt," Bull said, with a frown. "This isn't a punishment."

"No, I just-" Dorian shut his eyes, willing himself to get the words out. "It makes me feel like I'm yours."

"You are mine," Bull said, caressing the side of his face, and Dorian let himself relax into it. "I'm not going anywhere." Dorian's world suddenly spun; in the space of a moment, Bull flipped him over and stretched out on top of him, pinning Dorian's hands to the bed. "And I need to fuck, so stay on your stomach."

"Oh, Maker," Dorian breathed. The words sent a jolt through him, swift and devastating as a lightning bolt. Bull had never been quite that possessive or demanding before, or at least not in the same way, but it was utterly predictable how Dorian melted in the face of it.

"Okay?" Bull said, sounding worried, and it did something to Dorian, that unabashed concern. Bull doubtlessly knew he'd hit the mark, but as hot as that was, Dorian wouldn't be here at all if he didn't trust Bull implicitly to always keep him safe, above all else.

Dorian sighed. "Very."

"Good," Bull said, gently nipping the back of Dorian's neck before letting him go. He shoved Dorian's legs apart and yanked his hips up; it was a mixed blessing, because Dorian's weight wasn't resting on the cage anymore, but only because it was now suspended between his legs. Bull seemed to see the problem, because he grabbed one of the pillows, stuffing it underneath Dorian's hips to provide at least a little support.

Of course, then Bull slapped his ass nice and hard, so Dorian was really getting some mixed messages in regards to his intended comfort level.

"Hold yourself open for me," Bull ordered. "If you make it good, I'm going to get you off afterwards, so choose wisely."

At another time, it would have embarrassed Dorian, the way he obeyed without complaint, just reached down and spread himself out. There wasn't a place for embarrassment here, though. This was about nothing but what Bull wanted from him. A reward sounded nice, but it was far away, a distant possibility more than anything else.

Dorian jumped at the feel of oil being drizzled onto him, cool as it slid down over his hole. It felt good, given how overheated his skin felt, but the cage was already starting to hurt, his cock trying to fill inside of it. Better he not think about anything feeling good. That went out the window when Bull pushed a finger inside of him; having the cage on didn't make it not feel good to have Bull's big fingers opening him up, but Dorian certainly paid the price for enjoying it, in the feeling of unrelenting metal bars against his cock.

Bull didn't spend long in preparing him; sooner than Dorian expected, Bull was wrapping his hands around Dorian's hips and thrusting into him. He'd thought it had been difficult to maintain his calm, but this was torture. Bull's cock was, of course, huge, and whether by design or by sheer size, it kept hitting just the right spot over and over again, lighting Dorian up. It was so good, but Dorian was so frustrated he felt like he might just cry.

The watchword was right there in his mouth, but Dorian swallowed it down. He could do this. This had all been his idea; he wanted to feel like Bull's possession and he did, he _really_ did. He didn't know- and didn't care to examine- what that said about him, why it felt comforting. There was no ruining things if he was just Bull's; like this, he had no other option but to do what Bull wanted, no volition of his own. Something about it was so freeing, so calming, knowing it was out of his hands.

It was just that his body didn't agree, not at the moment.

Very thankfully, Bull didn't seem like he was in the mood to draw things out. Just when Dorian was beginning to think he couldn't handle another moment, Bull started to lose his rhythm, pushing in deeper and harder, and Dorian knew he was almost there. With what little control he had, Dorian tilted his hips up, pushing up against Bull. It had exactly the effect he'd hoped; Bull shouted and came, his cock pulsing inside Dorian, filling him up.

After a long moment, Bull pulled carefully out, lying down beside Dorian and turning Dorian towards him.

"I'm so proud of you," Bull said, kissing him gently. He had the key to Dorian's cage in his hand, and this time Dorian made no attempt to stop him. Dorian groaned loudly when Bull finally got the cage off, thrusting up against nothing before Bull put a hand on his hip. "Easy," Bull said. "I've got you."

Bull wrapped a hand around Dorian's cock, stroking it firmly, steadily, and there was nothing surprising about the fact that Dorian was ready to come in a painfully short amount of time.

"That's right," Bull said. "Come on, Dorian. You've been so good. You did exactly what I wanted. Come for me, kadan."

Dorian did it before Bull even finished speaking; the feeling seemed to go through his entire body, head to toe, all the frustration of a whole day of denial gone at once. He wasn't sure it had ever felt this intense, so much tension and emotion pouring out of him like that, and Bull didn't falter, just held him close and took him all the way through, not letting him go.

Dorian lost track for a moment after that; Bull cleaned up, setting the cage aside before lying down again and taking Dorian into his arms. Neither of them said anything for a long while. Bull swirled his fingers through Dorian's hair idly, and Dorian shut his eyes, letting the motion soothe him.

"Hey, Dorian," Bull said after a long while, sounding uncomfortable. "That was hot, but I'm not going to do it again."

"What do you mean?" Dorian said, and he couldn't help the way that he tensed up, nervous about what Bull was going to say.

"Just the last part," Bull said, running a calming hand down Dorian's back. "When you're with me, I don't want you to wear it. Nobody else gets to touch, but I want to touch as freely as I please."

Dorian snorted. "So you're lording it over people who don't even know you're lording it over them."

"I'm loud enough about it in public that people are pretty clear on that already," Bull pointed out.

"You're not wrong," Dorian said, cuddling closer to him. "I suppose I'll have to manage somehow."

"Don't worry," Bull said, kissing him. "I can manage you."

\--

**Epilogue**

The key wasn't in the chest.

Things followed a fairly predictable routine. Dorian would get up, wash, put on his cage, dress, and go about his day. On days when Bull was away with Adaar or the Chargers, Dorian would also check on the small chest that stood next to the hearth in their rooms; that was where Bull customarily left the key to the cage when he was gone, and so Dorian had a vested interest in its safety.

But here Dorian was, already wearing the damn thing, and the key was gone.

Dorian hurried out; he was supposed to meet with Adaar before she and Bull left anyway, but that wasn't particularly comforting. He needed to speak with Bull, immediately and alone.

He happened on Bull in the training yard, apparently giving Krem some final instructions before leaving. Dorian didn't drag him off by the arm, but that was really only because he finished before Dorian had a chance.

Bull walked over, giving Dorian a look that said he knew exactly what Dorian was going to ask. Dorian looked around; it was doubtful that anyone would understand even if they did hear, and whispering was only going to make him look intriguing.

"The key isn't where you usually leave it," Dorian said, in a soft but level voice.

"Nope," Bull said.

Dorian's eyes widened. "You- you're not taking it with you, are you?"

"I left it with Josie," Bull said, with a devious smile. "If you need it, ask her for the envelope. Fair warning- I told her that if you get it, she can ask you why."

"You are _atrocious_ ," Dorian said, though he was somewhat impressed. It was both a perfectly safe spot and less appealing to access than if the key had been buried under ten feet of earth. Josephine was _so_ good at questions. If he went to her, she'd have the entire story from him faster than Dorian could snap his fingers.

"But you love me," Bull said, kissing Dorian on the top of the head.

"That doesn't make you not atrocious," Dorian said. "It merely suggests that I am not very discerning."

"Whatever you say," Bull said; he let Dorian catch his horn and pull him down to kiss him properly.

"Be safe," Dorian said.

"Of course, kadan," Bull answered, straightening up after Dorian let him go. "Be back before you know it."

"I assure you," Dorian said, "as fast as the days may go for you, they will be painfully slow for me."

Bull grinned. "Try not to dwell. You'll only make it harder."

"Very funny," Dorian said.

"See you soon," Bull said.

"Not soon enough, amatus," Dorian said squeezing his hand. Bull smiled again, winking at him- such as he could with one eye, which wasn't much- before taking his leave.

Dorian sighed. It always felt like ages when Bull was away. This was only going to be different in degree.

And smallclothes. Also different in smallclothes.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to [pearwaldorf](http://ao3.org/users/pearwaldorf) and [sinope](http://ao3.org/users/sinope) for looking this over, and to [dizmo](http://ao3.org/users/dizmo), who independently decided that Highever is the funniest Thedosian place name for a cheesy sex move.
> 
> If you'd like to see the particular equipment I used as a basis for Dorian's cage (and its inexplicable name), [please visit this HIGHLY NSFW page.](http://www.mr-s-leather.com/CB309/skeletor-pod-chastity-cock-cage.html)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Free Range](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5590939) by [RsCreighton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RsCreighton/pseuds/RsCreighton)




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